Sliding door



Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES Artur orifice.

SLIDING- DOOR.

Application led August 21, 1925. p Serial No. 51,614.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY E. HAGKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort l/Vayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sliding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to sliding doors and articularly to doors adapted to close a relatively wide opening, such as a garage entrance, wherein the entrance is preferably closed by a plurality of doors. n

The object of the invention is to provide a simple mechanism by which a plurality of doors may be supported for movement from an aligned condition in the closed position to a lapped condition, or one behind the other; in the open position.

The invention consists in the novel con` struction, arrangement and combination ot parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an elevational view of the doors in closed condition; Fig. 2 a plan view of the same; Fig. 8 a plan view of the lower guide rail and switch tracks; Fig. 4

an end elevational view of the middle door; Fig. 5 a plan view of the upper track and switch trackswith the supporting members of one of the doors entering one of the switches; Fig. 6 a side elevational view of the upper rail at the forward switch tracks; Fig. 7 an end elevational view of the same; Fig. 8 a side elevational view of the. upper rail at the rear switch tracks; Fig. 9 an end elevational view of the same; 10 a plan-view of the lower rail and switch tracks; Fig. 11 a side elevational view of the lower rail at the forward switch tracks; Fig. 12 an end elevational view of the saine; Fig. 13 a side elevational view of the lower rail at the rear switch tracks; Fig. 14 an end elevational view of the same; Fig. 15 a plan view of two of the doors illustrating the coupling therefor;Fig. 16 a side view ofthe same Fig. 17 a plan view of the upper guides for the first door; Fig. 18 a plan view 'of the upper guides for the second door; Fig. 19 a plan view of the upper guides for the third door; Fig. 20 a plan view of the lower shoes for the first door; Fig. 21 an end viewy of the same; Fig. 22 a plan view of the lower front shoe of the second and third doors; Fig. 23 an end view of the same; Fig. 24 a plan view of the rear shoe of the second-and third doors; Fig. 25 kan end elevational view of the same; Fig. 26 a plan view of the pivot for the shoes and F ig. 27 a side view of the same.

.Referring to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, 1 represents the frame of a housing that, in practice, is installed in the building adjacentto one side of the door opening. One end of the rail 2 is supported by this `frame or therail is otherwise supportedover and 'across the door opening, upon which the doors '3, 4 and 5 are supported or hung by the roller hangers 6. Two switch tracks 7 and 8 are secured to the side member 1n of the frame 1 and are parallel to the rail 2 for a portion of their length, the forthe opposite switches for the purpose here` after described.

A rail 13 extends across the lower side of `the door opening in the building and into the frame or housing 1. Two switches 14 and 15 are secured to the lower member 1c of the frame 1 similarly to switches 7 and 8, the forward end of each switch 14, 15 bcing adjacent or engaged to the side of the rail 13, and two switches 16 and 17 are similarly secured to the member 1d of the frame 1 and their forward ends adjacent or engaged to the rail 13. At thejunction point of the switches 14 and 16 with the rail, the rail andswitches are cut out to forma passage way 18, and asimilar passageway 19 is formed at the junction point of the switches 15 and 17 and the rail 1B.

At the rear end of the top of the door Sithere is mounted a latch 2O adapted to engage a similar latch 21 mounted at the forward end of the top of the door 4 and simiforward end of the door V5 respectively; thelatches being adapted to couple the doors together. Each of the latches (Figs. 15, 16)

comprises a notched bar 24 pivoted within a housing 25, a spring 26 disposed 1n a .socket 27 formed in the bottom member of the housing 25 tending to hold the bar away from the side 25a of that housing, or in contact withy the opposite `side of the housing as shown in outline in Fig. 15, so that, upon sliding the doors, when ytwo adjacent latches d0 and 21, engage', the springs'will cause the latches to firmly grip each other and couple the doors together. y

The hangers for the doors are alike in their general features. Each hanger comprises a frame '28 (Fig. Y) yhaving the wheels 29 journalled at its upper end and adapted to roll on the rail 2. The lower en d of each hanger is bent laterally and then upwardly, the lateral portion having an eX- tensicn 23h that is pivoted at 31"LL (Fig 1) to a bracket secured to the top of the door, and the said upward extension being 'disposed upon the opposite side of the rail to form a guard 30. `lllings project from the opposite edges of the frame at a selected point to form a guide 31. rlhese wings are either in the vertical plane of'the frame or they are curved outwardly. In the hangers for the lirst door 3 the guides 34 -are in the vertical plane of the trame (Fig. 17X andl the guards 30 are also straight or parallel to the rail 2. The hanger 2e for the middle door is above described and in the other hanger for said doorthe curvature of the upper guide is not as great as that of the guide 3l so 'that 'it will pass between the ends or theswitch tracks l and 9l and will not pass between the ends of they switch racks i and 10, but its ends will project -ate 'ally beyond or forwardly of the end of the switch track 10 and abut 'the outer face thereof as the door is moved to open position and thereby divert theV rollers to said switch track. 'l he guide 31 of the forward hanger ofthe middle door will abut the outer face of ythe switch track 9 and'divert the rollers of that hanger'onto the latter track. ln this diverting movement of the hangers 28 and' 34u the guards 30 and 36 pass through the cut-out portions' 1ilfand i2 respectively. rlChe cut-out portion 12 is higher than the portion 1l and the guard 3G is higher than the guard 30. This difference in yheight of the cut-out portions 'and of the guards 30, 36 is provided so that the guard will not pass into the cut-out portion 11 and derail the hanger 28." The hangers 37 and 38 for the third door 5 are similar to the hangers 28 and 34a respectively, the only dillerence being that they are reverse on their pivots sothat the guides '39 and 40 thereon will abut the outer faces of the switch tracks 7 and S and divert the hangers to those tracks, the guards 41 and 42 passing through the cut-out portions 11 and 12.` f Y Shoes 41, (Figs. 20 and .21)k are pivoted by the member 42, Figs'. 26, 27 to the bottoin of the r'irst door 3. Shoes 43, 44 are similarly pivote-d to the bottom of the middle door y4 and the shoes 45, 46 are similarly pivotedto' the third door 5 and all said shoes slide in the rail 13. Each of the shoes is U-shaped in cross section, the depending legs'41a' of'th'e's'hoes" 41 being of uniform thickness from end to end, and the depending legs of the other shoes being longitudinallyrounded offL Qn their inner surfaces. rhe front shoes 43 and 45 of the doors 4 and 5 are alike and the rear shoes 44 and 46 are also alike, the shoes on the door 5 being reversed on the track so that the vertically longer legs and 46n of those shoes will be disposed on the rear side of the rail 13, whereas the corresponding legs of the shoes are disposed on lthe front side of that rail as showir inFig. 1. The cut-out portion 1D in the rail 13 is deeper than lthe eut-out portion ltherein, and the inside legs of the rear shoes 44 and 46. pass through the cut-out portion'19 but will. not pass through the cut-out' portion 18, and the'inside legs on the forward shoes 43' and 45 will pass through the cut-out portion 18. When the doors are enclosedin the'housing the lirst ldoor3 is intermediate the doors 4 and 5, the door 5 being the outermost since it is now supported on the switch rails 7 andS and the door 4 is supported on 'the switch railst) and 10. To close the doors l is drawn on the rail 2 out ofthe the door o I housing, the latchV 2O eventually engages the latch 21 on thev door4 and said door`i's pulled along with the lirst door. The curved ends of the svitch tracks, 10, 16 and. 17 direct the vhangers andthe shoes `On said door 4 toward the rails 2 and 13, the forward endsy of the upper Guides on the hangers abutting the sidev of the rail and the forward curved ends of the inner' legs or' the shoesabutting the forward edges o'f the cutout portions 13v and 19 in the'rail 13,` and thereby causing thehanger rollers to ride onto the rail 2 and the shoes lto ride onto the rail 13. The continued movement of the doors 3`and 4 causes the latch 22 on the door 4 to engage the latch 23011 the 'doorf5 and causing theilatter door to movefrom'the switch tracks 7 and'8 vonto the'rail 2, similarly to door 4. i t

ln opening the doors the movement and action of the parts are the reverse of thatof the closing movements and actions.

^ rlhe operation of the doors is smooth and easy and their coupling is positively accomplished to close the doorway. Vhen the doorsare opened they are fully housed in' a minimum of space.

`What I claim is:

1. The, combination with a plurality of doors, ofa main raillixed above the doors, hangers for and pivotedto each door and adaptedk to be moved on the rail,`switch rails fixed adjacent tothe main rail and adapted to supportk aportion ofthe doors'in open lll) position and in parallel relation, and means on the hangers of the said portion of the doors adapted to engage the switch rails selectively for diverting the hangers onto said switch rails in the opening movemnt of the doors. v

2. The combination `with a plurality of doors, of an upper main rail, switch rails fixed adjacent to opposite sides of one end of the main rail and parallel thereto, said switch rails having one end extending toward the said main rail, hangers for and pivotally connected to the doors and adapted to ride on the main rail, means on the liangersof a portion of the doors to coopcrate with selected switch rails to divert said hangers onto said switch rails in the opening movement of the doors for causing said portion of doors to move into parallel relation, meansA to guide the bottoms of the doors and means to automatically and releasably couple the doors together in their closing movement.

3. The combination with a plurality of doors, an upper main rail, a lower main rail, switch rails upon opposite sides of one end of each main rail, hangers movable on the upper rail and pvotally connected to the doors, shoes pivoted to the doors and slidable on the lower rail, the hangers and shoes on a portion of the doors being adapted to engage selected switch rails, in the opening movement kof the doors, for diverting the said doors onto said switch rails and causing the said doors to move into parallel relation, said hangers and shoes also causing the said doors to move onto the main rails in the closing movement thereof7 and means cary ried by the doors for automatically coupling hem together in the opening movement thereof. c

t. The combination with a plurality of doors, of an upper main rail,` a lower main rail, switch rails upon opposite sides of the main rails at one end thereof and4 spaced ends of the main rails and means to automatically couple thek doors together when the door on the main rails 1s moved thereon to closed position for drawing the remaining doors successively from the switchl rails into alinement on themain rails.

5. The combination with a plurality of doors, of an upper main rail, a lower main rail, switch rails upon opposite sides of the said main rails at one end thereof, eachV switch rail having one end thereof extending toward the main rail, each rail having out out portions adjacent the latter ends of the switch rails, hangers pivoted to the doors and adapted to ride on the upper main rail, shoes pivoted to the doors and adapted to ride on the lower rail, the hangers and e shoes having guides thereon some of which are adapted to engage selected switch rails for diverting the doors vthat are pivoted to the selected hangers and shoes onto the said switch rails in the opening movement of the doors, guards on the hangers and shoes adapted to pass through certain of said cut out portions, means to automatically couple the doors together in the closing movement thereof, whereby the closing movement ot' one of the doors on said main rails causesl the remaining doors to move onto the main rails successively in alinement.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of August,'1925.

- HENRY E. HACKMAN. 

